"commercial" gigs

Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone!

I read some of you land company contracts vs doing birthdays or markets.
How does one go about painting for the bigger companies for store openings or other events they hold? Do you literally just speak to the store manager?

thanks!!

I asked my former facepainting boss who owns a leading face painting company in my hometown. She said literally she gets them 2 ways:

1) She gets a call from one of their representatives
2)She has done a birthday party for one of the VP's of the company or CEO and they liked her artwork and said she should paint for his/her company's family picnic and what not. How she landed a birthday party with the CEO or VP, I would like to know that myself.

I'm sure there are more ways to get it but those are the only two that I know of.

Me personally, I went to a fast food chain Chick Fil A here in southern America and talked to the manager directly and emailed their marketing director. I have yet to hear a response though because their events are seasonal.